Maid of Honour Speeches

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! The reason I am an expert in bridesmaid speeches is all down to you. It’s so perfect, thank you!” – Nisha G

The Maid of Honour (or Bridesmaid) speech is becoming an increasingly regular feature of a wedding. The days of three speeches given by three men wearing identical suits are slowly melting away in the face of the female public speaking onslaught. And quite right too!

But the Maid of Honour faces a very different set of challenges to those in more traditional roles. The etiquette for their speeches is well honed and although their quality may differ, the expectations of their respective roles are clear.

Not so for the Maid of Honour. She has no set time to speak, toast to give or agenda to meet. Which is both a challenge and a wonderful opportunity.

When should the Maid of Honour speak?

My view is that you should speak last. There is a natural flow to the way the male toasts lead naturally from one to the next, and there is no need to break that rhythm. By going at the end, you can ask the Best Man to give you a lovely introduction, and you can be sure that the key thanks have already been made. The guests will already be relaxed, the formalities will have been covered and a fair bit of wine consumed. Which paves the way for you to have some fun.

What to say in a Maid of Honour speech?

You are Maid of Honour to the Bride, and she should, of course, be your key focus. However, the Father of the Bride and the Groom will both have spoken about her already and you must avoid the trap of repetition at all costs. So my first advice is to speak to them. Try to find out how they are going to describe her, what angle they might take and any particular stories they’re going to tell. You can then plot your own speech. They key will be to paint a picture of the Bride from your perspective, focusing on what a great friend she is. Ideally you’ll make it as relevant as possible by linking it to her new life, and demonstrate how all the qualities you have witnessed over the years will make her a wonderful wife. It would be great to end with a toast, but it’s hard to know what to suggest without understanding a little more about the specifics of the wedding.

What not to say

The risk is that you tell too many stories about the two of you that are not particularly relevant to the rest of the audience. Try to see the Bride through the eyes of others so it’s not a ‘Thelma and Louise’ wedding special! Don’t spend too long thanking everyone (as the Best Man and Groom speeches will already have done that). And please don’t use this as an opportunity to run through her entire CV!

How long should the Maid of Honour speak for?

I’d cap it at five minutes. That’s easily long enough to give a real insight into the Bride, but it’s not going to tire-out an audience who may be listening to more speeches than they’d bargained for!

Tone of a Maid of Honour speech

Keep it light. It’s easy to get emotional on an occasion like this, but this really isn’t the time for tears. You are speaking at the relaxed end of a long day and you are not just there for your best friend, but also for your fellow guests. Your speech is part of the entertainment, not the service.

Writing tips

There are no exclusive rules for the way you’d write a Maid of Honour speech. There is lots of general help here on the most effective ways to write and deliver a speech. The keys, as ever, are to keep it brief, keep it clear and keep it relevant.

We’ve written many speeches for Bridesmaids across the world and we’d be delighted to help make yours truly special. We have a questionnaire to help you draw out all the relevant information in advance, so please get in touch if you’d find that helpful. Please email us or call 0207 118 1600. We look forward to hearing from you!

16 Comments

Lyn knightJanuary 20, 2018

I’ve been asked to say some words at a goddaughter wedding blessing i would like a disney theme reading any help would be appreciated

Venecia GreenDecember 16, 2017

Good morning I just anxiously run into this page. I need a maid of honour speech and I wasn’t aware that I has to have 1.

JackMay 13, 2016

Hi Sara! We’d love to help out! If you’d like to leave some contact information in the form on the right of this page, we can give you a call on Monday. Otherwise, you can always try us on the enquiry line.
Hope to speak soon!

Sara HollowayMay 13, 2016

I have to.make a speech at my sister wedding and I’m the maid of honor too.

Sharon CoyleApril 26, 2016

Hi there, can someone call me please- I’d like my speech written

JackMarch 8, 2016

Hi Janet – typically (though not always!) there is some cost involved. Each speech is unique, so the best way to figure it out is with a phone call. Feel free to ring whenever suits!

JanetMarch 7, 2016

Is there a charge for this service?

LawrenceOctober 15, 2015

Hi Jemima – we’d be delighted to help! Feel free to give us a call, or you can fill in the form on the right and provide an email address for us to send a message. Look forward to speaking!

Jemima ObengOctober 15, 2015

Please I need to write a short speech at my best friend wedding. Thanks!!

Lawrence BernsteinJuly 13, 2015

Don’t worry Christina – help is on hand! We’ll be in touch this morning.

CristinaJuly 12, 2015

I need help writing a speech for my sisters wedding!!!!

Joelene BryantOctober 2, 2014

I need help to write a speech!!! Pleeease x

LucsySeptember 26, 2014

What is the cost for a bridesmaid speech?

Julie DobsonSeptember 12, 2014

Please can you help me make
a speech for my friends wedding, I have been
friends with her for 3 years